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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · squash · bear · capital · prune · root · club · mine

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bear — the animal
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. club — a group
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. club — for golf
  8. dip — to sink
  9. root — of a word
  10. squash — to crush
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a plant
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. capital — money
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. prune — to trim
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. mine — for digging
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. capital — a big letter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com